gun show find,model 36

[kimporter]

well i got to go to the show in louisville today,and found this 36,serial # is 853J51,anybody got a born on date for it?

 

[Hillbilly77]

well i got to go to the show in louisville today,and found this 36,serial # is 853J51,anybody got a born on date for it?

"J" in the middle of the S/N?

 

[-db-]

I think the "floating J" serials date to 1970 or '71. Someone should be along to verify or correct this.

 

[iwanna]

Nice snubby! I love J-frames. I have a 36-1 3" Heavy Barrel that I bought for dirt and wouldn't trade for the world.

 

[Hondo44]

It's called the floating J serial range. Just use the number and don't pay any attention to the J. Yours is towards the beginning of the [1969 to 1983 J] series, 1971-72.

 

[kimporter]

thanks for the replys,i really starting to like snubbies,this is going to be my new ccw,IF i can get it back from my wife

 

[bamabiker]

It's called the floating J serial range. Just use the number and don't pay any attention to the J. Yours is towards the beginning of the series, 1971-72.

I don't think I'd call that the beginning.
The SCSW says...
1971 - 1972.....J1 - 999J99

 

[linde]

It's called the floating J serial range. Just use the number and don't pay any attention to the J. Yours is towards the beginning of the series, 1971-72.

I have to agree with bamabiker it would have been toward the end of the first floating J series . . . i.e. 1972

I don't think I'd call that the beginning.
The SCSW says...
1971 - 1972.....J1 - 999J99

The text quoted from the SCSW has a typo in the book that causes much confusion. It should read 1J1 - 999J99.

Russ

 

[linde]

Just to expand a little on dating during the first “floating J” series (1971 – 1972) 1J1 to 999J99 and why the position of the “J” is significant to where the s/n falls within the series. Here is what I believe the s/n sequence looks like:

1J1, 1J2, 1J3, 1J4, 1J5, 1J6, 1J7, 1J8, 1J9, 1J10, 1J11 . . . . . . . . . . 1J9999
2J1, 2J2, 2J3, 2J4, 2J5, 2J6, 2J7, 2J8, 2J9, 2J10, 2J11 . . . . . . . . . . 2J9999
3J1, 3J2, 3J3, 3J4, 3J5, 3J6, 3J7, 3J8, 3J9, 3J10, 3J11 . . . . . . . . . . 3J9999
. . .

10J1, 10J2, 10J3, 10J4, 10J5, 10J6, 10J7, 10J8, 10J9, 10J10 . . . . . 10J999
11J1, 11J2, 11J3, 11J4, 11J5, 11J6, 11J7, 11J8, 11J9, 11J10 . . . . . 11J999
. . .

99J1, 99J2, 99J3, 99J4, 99J5, 99J6, 99J7, 99J8, 99J9, 99J10 . . . . . . 99J999
100J1, 100J2, 100J3, 100J4, 100J5, 100J6, 100J7, 100J8, 100J9 . . . 100J99
101J1, 101J2, 101J3, 101J4, 101J5, 101J6, 101J7, 101J8, 101J9 . . . 101J99
. . .

999J1, 999J2, 999J3, 999J4, 999J5 . . . 999J99

By now you get the idea. Note in this first series of the floating J s/n format, there are a maximum of six characters . . . the letter J plus up to five numbers (there is a later floating J series with J plus six numbers)

I hope this helps and doesn't add to the confusion.

Russ


Edit to add: IF there were an equal number of “floating J-frames” produced in 1971 and 1972, the dividing line would be near the 56J prefix . . . meaning a 1J1 to 55J999 s/n would be 1971 and a 56J1 to 999J99 would be 1972.

If that’s not intuitive, let me know and I’ll share the spreadsheet where I did the math. Hint: 1J1 to 1J9999 has 10,000 combinations . . . and . . . 999J1 to 999J99 has 100 combinations.

 

[5Wire]

Linde has it:

J Serial Prefix Models: 36, 37, 38, 49, 50
1969-1970 J1-J99999
1971-1972 J1-999J99
1973-1974 J100000-J250000
1975-1976 J250001-J370000
1976-1977 J370001-J610000
1977-1978 J610001-J670000
1979-1980 J670001-J760000
1981 J760001-J915400
1982 J915401-1J18600
1983 1J18601-xxxx

Supica, Jim; Nahas, Richard (2006-12-20). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 3rd (Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson) (p. 386). F+W Media, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

 

[Hondo44]

I don't think I'd call that the beginning.
The SCSW says...
1971 - 1972.....J1 - 999J99

I have to agree with bamabiker it would have been toward the end of the first floating J series . . . i.e. 1972
Russ

bamabiker and Russ,
Thank you both, it was poorly worded. Here's what was meant and would have been clear:

"It's called the floating J serial range. Just use the number and don't pay any attention to the J. Yours is towards the beginning of the [1969 to 1983 J] series, 1971-72."

 

[66snub]

A nice piece, none the less. My back up piece is a model 36 no dash from the 76'-77' range. Bobbed hammer, square butt, factory wood grips. It's well-worn, but dead reliable. Loaded with Winchester STHP's.